Method of making shovels and the like



July 9, 1935. E, T, NlPHER 007,53

METHOD OF MAKING SHOVELS AND THE LIKE Filed April 4, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet1 July 9, 1935. E T MPHER 2,007,583

METHOD MAKING SHOVELS AND THE LIKE Filed April 4, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented July 9, 15935 f UNITED sfrarss PATENT OFFICE W. Va., acorporationof Delaware Application April 4, 1933, Serial No.- 64,349

9" claims.

The object of thisinvention is to provide a method for the constructionof a shovel or like blade having a handle-receiving extension involvingfew and simple operations. My inventionl will` be well understood byreference to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, whereinz- Fig. Y1 is a front elevation of acompleted shovel with the handle broken away;

Fig.v 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale;Fig. 3 is a feront elevation of the blade blank and the part which formsthe extension prior to their being connected together;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the part forming the extension; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3 on an `enlarged scale.' pv Prior to my invention shovels have been formed as shown, for example,in the patent to Robertson 673,130, April 30, 1901, by butt welding intoa suitable notch or recess in a blade-forming blank the ends of appairof straps which serve for securing the handle and the blank has `thenbeen shaped to gage by a rolling operation. I propose to minimize orentirely eliminate the latter operation by providing a method ofmanufacture wherein a blade blank is utilized at least approximately ofnished area and thickness.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 3 I have illustrated a bladeblankproper 'I in the form of a suitable flat piece of steel of the desiredthickness of theblade of the shovel and of such size as topermit it tobe bent to the finished form shown in Fig. 1, although it may beslightly longer, as by the amount above the dot and dash lines 9 in Fig.3, for reasons which will hereinafter appear. In the back or upper endof the blank is formed a recess or notch having the converging sidesII.` The handle-forming extension is -to be secured to the margins ofthis notch. Herein this extension is formed of two superposed pieces ofmetal of desired thickness, ordinarily somewhat lighter yetsubstantially like the thickness of the blade to provide a structure ofadequate strength and these pieces (see Figs. 3 and* 4) are providedwith a relatively narrow strap-forming portion I3 terminating in endportions I5 which in the example shown are enlarged and resemble aspear-head at the `end of a shaft corresponding to the strap portions I3and having `converging edges `Iorrryied-l at an angle corresponding tothe angle of the edges II of the notch in the blade blank. The enlargedhead I5 has approximately the form of this notch and may be somewhat(o1. ifs- 113) `shorterand is wider so that if moved downwardly into thenotch from the spaced position of Fig. 3 the sides thereof would makecontact with the side margins II of the notch before the head wouldbottom in the notch. In the example disclosed the handle-receiving partis preformed as `a unit to at least approximately its final nished formprior to attaching it to the blade blank proper l. Herein (see Fig. 4)the strap portions I3 are shaped to approximately semi-cylindrical formand disposed at a desired angle relative'to the head portions I5, themargins oi` which latter are disposed in face to face contact. Thecentral portions of these heads, as indicated at Il, may be formed, asseen in Fig. 4, spaced from each other to form a frog which in theiinishedshovel (see Fig. 1) is disposed below the rear of the blade andreceives the end of the handle. 4 At least the lower portions of thestraps I3 may be formed to presenta tubular structure and be weldedtogetherV asindicated by dotted lines at I9 in Fig. 4. A

To provide for securing such a handle-receiving part as described to theblade blank proper, which is of approximately nished thickness or gageby means of an electric butt welding operation, I may securel togetherto welding the marginal portions of the enlarged Yheads I5 as indicatedby the dotted linesII in Fig. 3 and the dark line similarly numbered inFig. 5 where they pass the sides I I of the notch in the blade blank.Alter-` natively I may locally shape edge portions of the parts tocorrespond in thickness one to another as herein by thickening orupsetting the margins I I ofthe notch so that it is of substantially thethickness of the edges of the two heads i5, as seen in Figs. 2 and 5. yPreferably `i da both. The heads I5 of the handle-retaining part shownin Fig. 4 may then be inserted into the notch and advanced therein untilthe sides thereof contact with the margins II. Because of the greater`width of these heads as compared with the width of the notch the headswill not bottom in the notch and because of the somewhat greater depthof the notch the margins I I will make Contact with the sides of thehead throughout the length of the latter. Effective Contact between theparts to permit them to be heated to a fusing temperature for welding isthus provided andthe joint isthen completed by advancing thehandle-receiving part into the notch. The opposed margins of the partsare fused and burned away during this operation until the head is unitedto the blade blank throughout vits margin. The upper edge of theenlarged head at the completion of the Welding Sli will have advanced tothe location of the dot and dash lines 9 in Fig. 3 and the extension ofthe blade blank vabove these lines may be trimmed away. The blade isthen bent to the desired finished form as, for instance, that indicatedin Fig. l, and the handle 29 may be bulldozed into the socket formed bythe straps I 3 so that its end enters the frog Il at the center of theenlarged head portions and thus having an effective connection to theblade of the tool.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific formswithout departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and Itherefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respectsas illustrative and noty restrictive; reference being had to theappended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate thescope of the invention.

I claiml. The method of making a shovel or like bladev having ahandle-receiving extension which com- V prises forming a blade blank ofsubstantially Y the former into said notch.

2. The method of making a shovel or like blade having a handle-receivingextension which comprises forming a blade blank of substantially nishedsize and thickness and provided at the back with a tapering notch,superposing a pair of extension-forming pieces of like thickness to theblank having end or head portions approximately conforming in shapel tosaid notch and of greater width, welding together the end portions alongthe sides thereof, entering the end portions in said notch and weldingtogether end portions and blade while advancing the former into saidnotch.

3. The method of making a shovel or like blade having a handle-receivingextension which comprises lforming a blade blank of substantially nishedsize and thickness and provided at the back with. a tapering notch,constructing an extension-forming part from two superposed pieces havingtongues and enlarged heads, the latter approximately conforming in shapeto said notch but of greater width, preforming said part tohandle-receiving contour, welding togethersaid heads at their sides,entering the head portions in said notch and welding together headportions and blade while advancing the former into the notch.

4. The method of making a shovel or like blade having a handle-receivingextension which comprises forrning a blade blank of substantiallyfinished size and thickness and provided at the back with a taperingnotch having a margin thickened to correspond substantially to thecombined thickness of the edge portions of the superposed pieceshereinafter recited, superposing a pair of extension-forming pieceshaving end or head portions approximately conforming in shape to saidnotch and of greater width, entering said end portions into the notchwith their sides opposed to the thickened margin `thereof and weldingtogether end portions and blade while advancing the former into thenotch. v

5. The method of making a shovel or like blade having a handle-receivingextension which comprises forming a blade blank of substantiallyfinished size and thickness and provided at the back with a taperingnotch having a margin thickened to correspond substantially to thecombined thickness of the edge portions of the superposed pieceshereinafter recited, superposing a pair of extension-forming pieces oflike thickness to the blank having end or head portions approximatelyconforming in shape to said notch and of greater width, entering saidend portions into the notch with their sides opposed to the vthickenedmargin thereof and Welding together end portions and blade Whileadvancing the v former into the notch.

6. The methodof'making a shovel or like blade having a handle-receivingextension which comprises forming a blade blank of substantially-inished size and thickness and provided at the back with a taperingnotch having a thickened margin, superposing a pair of extension-formingpieces having end or head portions approximately conforming in shape tosaid notch and of greater width, welding together the end portions alongthe sides thereof, entering said end portions into the notch with theirsides opposed to the thickened margin thereof and welding together endportions and blade While advancing the former into the notch.

7. The method of making a shovel or like blade having a handle-receivingextension which comprises forming a blade blank of substantiallyfinished size and thickness and provided at the back with a taperingnotch having a thickened margin, constructing an extension-forming partfrom two superposed pieces having tongues and enlarged heads, the latterapproximately conforming in shape to said notch but of greater width,preforming said part to handle-receiving contour, entering said headsinto the notch with their sides opposed to the thickened margin thereofand welding together the heads and the blade while advancing the formerinto the notch.

8. The method of making a shovel or like blade having a handle-receivingextension which comprises forming a blade blank of substantiallyfinished size and thickness and provided at the back with a notch havingconverging edges, superposing a pair of extension pieces ofsubstantially like thickness to the blade and having end portionsapproximately conforming to the shape of said notch and of greaterwidth, locally shaping edges of the parts to correspond in thickness oneto another, entering the end portions in the notch to oppose said edgesand welding together end portions and blade while advancing the formerinto the notch.

v 9. The method of making a shovel or like blade having ahandle-receiving extension which comprises forming a blade blank ofsubstantially finished size and thickness and provided at the back witha notch having converging edges, superposing a pair of extension piecesof substantially like thickness to the blade and having end portionsapproximately conforming to the shape of said notch and of greaterWidth, locally shaping edges of one of the parts to correspond inthickness to the other, entering the end portions in the notch toAoppose said edges and welding together end portions and blade whileadvancing the former into the notch.

EDWIN T. NIPHER.

